Outdoor Educator

Job Overview

The Outdoor Educator position is a 3-season position spanning early April through the end of October with the possibility to extend the position over the winter months. During the spring and fall, educators work with residential school programs leading groups of students on base-camping trips, saltwater canoe trips, and day programs to teach outdoor living skills, team building, farm and food curricula, and ecology through facilitating a variety of place-based teaching methods and styles. During overnight programs educators live with their students and a school chaperone in small camping groups at shore-side campsites on Chewonki Neck, sleeping in tents, and cooking over open fires are a part of the core curriculum to facilitate positive learning experiences in nature. The team of 15 Outdoor Educators facilitate approximately 140 groups over the course of the spring and fall Outdoor Classroom seasons.

During the summer season, Outdoor Educators take on responsibilities within Camp Chewonki, in many cases as trip leaders. Camp Chewonki is a nature-based overnight camp and expedition-based youth leadership program for boys, girls, and non-binary children. Overnight campers are aged 8-15 and spend 10 days or 3 weeks at camp. The overnight camp program focuses on building cabin community, building skills and knowledge in a core curriculum, and learning about backcountry travel on multi-day remote cabin trips. Participants in our Leadership Expeditions are aged 14-18 and spend 3 weeks or 5 weeks learning leadership skills, remote travel, and a robust sense of self. The team of approximately 40 Trip Leaders facilitate over 60 remote canoeing, backpacking, whitewater kayaking, and sea kayaking trips for all three Camp Chewonki programs within the 10-week summer season.

In addition to their job responsibilities by season, educators are expected to take initiative and be part of the greater community, to support the Chewonki mission of promoting personal growth, natural history, and community development.

Special Benefits

• Spring Sign-on Incentive: $500;  Additional Summer Sign-on Incentive: $500

• Salary for the Camp Chewonki season starts at a base rate of $4,500.00 for the approximately 9 week season. Salary for the Outdoor Classroom season (fall and spring) starts at $410.00 per week, housing is included throughout employment and meals when served during Chewonki programs.
• Educators accrued one half (.5 day) Paid Time Off day each pay period.  PTO is taken with supervisor approval in consideration of program schedule.
• Health insurance is available in accordance with the Affordable Care Act as a Category C employee.

Minimum Requirements

• At Least 21 years old

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field, e.g. environmental education, recreation, ecology

• Current Wilderness First Responder Certification (preferred certifying bodies are Wilderness Medical Associates and Wilderness Medical Institute)

• Valid Driver’s License approved by Chewonki’s insurance carrier

• Pass background check

• Ability to lift up to 50 lb